It has become increasingly desirable to improve the overall system design and operation of gas turbines. In a system having a typical gas turbine engine, electrical power is extracted via an electrical generator to supply electrical power to control systems, actuators, weapons systems, climate control systems, and the like. Electrical storage, such as a battery, is typically provided to operate such systems when the gas turbine engine is not running or to provide power for starting the gas turbine engine. In some known gas turbine engines, the gas turbine engine includes a high pressure shaft and a lower pressure shaft, and the electrical generator is coupled to one of the high and low pressure shafts.
Electrical storage typically requires active cooling in order to maintain operable temperatures of the storage/battery cells. Common approaches to providing such cooling utilize multiple cooling loops in order to safely transfer heat away from the storage cells. These systems can be bulky and heavy which runs contrary to the needs of fuel efficiency and performance. Overheating of many battery cells can result in failure of the electrical storage system.
Overcoming these concerns would be desirable and could improve electrical storage, reduce weight, and increase the reliability of electrical storage.